The ACC has missed out on the Playoff in back-to-back years. Clemson did however return to the top of the conference in 2022 and will look to claim its 8th ACC championship in the last 9 seasons, something this league has not seen since Florida State won at least a share of 9 straight titles from 1992-2000.
ACC Fun Facts for 2023
After seeing its run of 6 straight conference titles snapped in 2021, Clemson earned its 21st ACC championship last season, 6 more than any other school.
8 of those conference crowns have come under Dabo Swinney; the only head coach in FBS history with more conference championship game wins is Nick\ Saban (10).
Cade Klubnik – the No. 1 dual-threat QB in the ESPN 300 Class of 2022 – returns for the Tigers after appearing in 10 games (1 start) as a true freshman.
Among the nine players with the shortest odds to win the 2023 Heisman Trophy, three are ACC quarterbacks: Klubnik, Jordan Travis, and Drake Maye. Travis and Maye both finished Top-10 nationally in Total QBR last season, accounting for the two highest marks among ACC QBs.
Maye finished 10th in Heisman voting as a redshirt freshman and is projected to be one of the first players off the board in the 2024 NFL Draft.
The only program that will have a new head coach this fall is Louisville, as Jeff Brohm returns to coach at his alma mater. Brohm played QB for the program from 1989-93 and was an assistant coach with the Cardinals from 2003-08. Additionally, Georgia Tech enters its first full season under Brent Key, who took over as interim coach midway through 2022; the Yellow Jackets went 4-4 with Key at the helm.
ACC Changes
So long, Coastal Chaos. The conference has moved to a single division with a new 3-5-5 scheduling format that covers the 2023-26 seasons.
Each team will have three permanent rivalry games played annually, with the other 10 opponents rotating on an every-other-year basis during the four-year cycle (once at home and once on the road).
Below is a brief preview of all the ACC teams. We will have more on this all week on Shemon and Sheppard.
Clemson (11-3, 8-0 in ACC last season)
2022 POSTSEASON: Lost to Tennessee in Capital One Orange Bowl, 31-14
2022 FINAL AP RANK: 13th
2023 FPI PRESEASON RANK: 8th
Each of the last two seasons have included three Clemson losses, something that had not previously happened in consecutive years since 2010-11. Those six losses in total are nearly as many as the Tigers had in the previous six seasons.
Florida State (10-3, 5-3 in ACC last season)
2022 POSTSEASON: Defeated Oklahoma 35-32 in Cheez-It Bowl
2022 FINAL AP RANK: 11th
2023 FPI PRESEASON RANK: 14th
The Seminoles begin September in Orlando, Florida against the LSU Tigers (Sept. 3, 7:30 ET on ABC) and wrap up the month in Death Valley against the Clemson Tigers.
North Carolina (9-5, 6-2 in ACC last season)
2022 POSTSEASON: Lost to Oregon in SDCCU Holiday Bowl, 28-27
2022 FINAL AP RANK: NR
2023 FPI PRESEASON RANK: 25th
The story of North Carolina in 2023 orbits around Drake Maye. The Heisman candidate for this upcoming season ranked highly in many categories among FBS quarterbacks in 2022.
Maye’s 45 touchdowns responsible for last season are the most by a freshman in ACC history, surpassing Jameis Winston’s 44 in 2013. His 5,019 yards of total offense are also an ACC freshman record; the only other ACC players to record 5,000+ yards of total offense in a season are Lamar Jackson (2016 & 2017) and Deshaun Watson (2015 & 2016).
Miami (5-7, 3-5 in ACC last season)
2022 POSTSEASON: N/A
2022 FINAL AP RANK: NR
2023 FPI PRESEASON RANK: 29th
Miami has posted a .500 record (12-12) over the last 2 seasons and is still in search of its first conference title since 2003 – its last season as a member of the Big East.
Tyler Van Dyke is back in Coral Gables following an injury-plagued 2022 campaign. He will work under ShannonDawson, who comes over from Houston to be the team’s third different offensive coordinator in three years.
Syracuse (7-6, 4-4 in ACC last season)
2022 POSTSEASON: Lost Pinstripe Bowl 28-20 vs Minnesota
2022 FINAL AP RANK: NR
2023 FPI PRESEASON RANK: 34th
Pittsburgh (9-4, 5-3 in ACC last season)
2022 POSTSEASON: Defeated 18 UCLA 37-35 in Tony The Tiger Sun Bowl
2022 FINAL AP RANK: 2nd
2023 FPI PRESEASON RANK: 35th
NC State (8-5, 4-4 in ACC last season)
2022 POSTSEASON: Lost to Maryland in Duke’s Mayo Bowl, 16-12
2022 FINAL AP RANK: NR
2023 FPI PRESEASON RANK: 36th
Louisville (8-5, 4-4 in ACC last season)
2022 POSTSEASON: Defeated Cincinnati 24-7 in Wasabi Fenway Bowl
2022 FINAL AP RANK: NR
2023 FPI PRESEASON RANK: 46th
Wake Forest (8-5, 3-5 in ACC last season)
2022 POSTSEASON: Defeated Missouri 27-17 in Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl
2022 FINAL AP RANK: NR
2023 FPI PRESEASON RANK: 47th
Duke (9-4, 5-3 in ACC last season)
2022 POSTSEASON: Defeated UCF 30-13 in Military Bowl
2022 FINAL AP RANK: NR
2023 FPI PRESEASON RANK: 53rd
Virginia Tech (3-8, 1-6 in ACC last season)
2022 POSTSEASON: N/A
2022 FINAL AP RANK: NR
2023 FPI PRESEASON RANK: 63rd
Georgia Tech (5-7, 4-4 in ACC last season)
2022 POSTSEASON: N/A
2022 FINAL AP RANK: NR
2023 FPI PRESEASON RANK: 65th
Virginia (3-7, 1-6 in ACC last season)
2022 POSTSEASON: N/A
2022 FINAL AP RANK: NR
2023 FPI PRESEASON RANK: 72nd
Boston College (3-9, 2-6 in ACC last season)
2022 POSTSEASON: N/A
2022 FINAL AP RANK: NR
2023 FPI PRESEASON RANK: 74th
